STILL BINGING: Hickenlooper’s “Lean” Government Still on Sugar High

Feb 12, 2014

It was just last month in his State of the State address that Governor John Hickenlooper was touting his record on making state government “lean” for Colorado. Yet, more evidence has emerged that Hickenlooper should spend less time talking about making government “lean” and more time actually following through on it.

To ensure that we are maximizing state resources and providing as responsive customer service as possible, we have gotten LEAN. LEAN, as many of you know, is a type of business audit that scours operations looking for ways to make processes run more efficiently.

…We’re LEAN. [the Peak emphasis]

This is like a fat kid saying he exercised by walking out to the mailbox.

Audits tell bureaucracies how to get the most out of taxpayers’ money, and for four years in Colorado they have been the backbone of a law aimed at making government leaner and more efficient.

Sound familiar?

But despite the 2010 SMART Government Act, which ties budgets to performance, agencies still fail at a significant rate to follow the solutions they agreed to.

…The compliance rate is 85 percent, but from 2007 to 2009 — before the new law went into effect — annual compliance ranged from 87 percent to 90 percent. [the Peak emphasis]

Don’t worry Hick, it’s the thought that counts, right? Here’s a Twinkie, go watch some TV while we get back to talking to the adults.

While Hick may be correct in asserting his administration has reviewed over 11,000 administrative rules and regulations, the number they have actually repealed to reduce red tape is probably around only 10% of those 11,000, if not much less. Yet, in just 2011 and 2012 alone, that same administration added over 25,000 pages of new regulations.

Are you kidding us? Hickenlooper has proven again and again he can’t manage his administration with the money he now receives, and you want us to give more money to him? Give the fat kid on the couch a box of Twinkies, he thinks it’s an exercise program.